Short-sighted WP: Re: [NatureNS] Aggressive Hummingbird

From: David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
References: <5204B879.2010804@bellaliant.net>
Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 10:38:45 -0300
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Hi Don & All,                                Aug 11, 2012
    Your comment about the Downy freezing at the hint of danger reminded =
me of an experience last winter suggesting that Downy and Hairy =
Woodpeckers are short-sighted.

    For many years I have hung a stick of firewood, with 16 staggered =
3/4" diameter holes about 1/2" deep, horizontally in a shrub and kept =
them supplied with fat during cold weather. The Downy & Hairy WP often =
also fed in a nearby Ash and would usually come to the fat from the Ash.

    After Alison became confined to wheelchair she could not see the =
birds visit this stick so I decided to move it this winter to another =
location that was visible from a low window by hanging a second stick at =
the new location and withholding fat from the first. This second =
location was about 15 paces from the Ash home base and about 20 paces =
from the bush in which the old stick hung. =20

    To effect this move, to a stick at the second location that was in =
full view from the Ash, took about 6 weeks !!

    They would find fat in a post that was half a span from the feeder =
currently used but ignore a post that was a span away. So I leapfrogged =
posts by half-span increments; shifting the oldest forward after they =
were finding fat at the most recent.=20

    In the process of doing this I learned that they strongly prefer to =
feed on a vertical post as opposed to an angled post or a horizontal =
stick.

Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville

   =20
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Don MacNeill=20
  To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  Sent: Friday, August 09, 2013 1:26 PM
  Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Aggressive Hummingbitd


  4 parts water, 1 part sugar.  Do you think I am making it hyperactive =
like children who get too much sugar? :>)

  Don


  Don MacNeill donmacneill@bellaliant.net
  On 09/08/2013 7:36 AM, Hebda, Andrew J wrote:

Out of curiosity, how strong a sugar solution are you using?

Andrew

________________________________________
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] on =
behalf of Don MacNeill [donmacneill@bellaliant.net]
Sent: August-09-13 6:38 AM
To: NaturenNS
Subject: [NatureNS] Aggressive Hummingbitd

I bought and hung out a hummingbird feeder about a week ago. Yesterday a
hummingbird fed from it and decided to stake out its territory.  It
chased away Black-capped Chickadees that were feeding at a sunflower
feeder that was 20 feet away fram the hummingbird feeder.  It chased a
House Sparrow from my backyard.  It dove at a Downy Woodpecker but
stopped about a foot from it and flew back to a bush.  Interestingly,
the woodpecker froze as it normally does when danger threatens.  It was
quite a while before the woodpecker resumed feeding at the peanut =
feeder.

I hope the dog-in-the-manger hummingbird doesn't succeed in keeping the
whole yard for itself.

Don
--
Don MacNeill donmacneill@bellaliant.net




  No virus found in this message.
  Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
  Version: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3211/6563 - Release Date: =
08/09/13

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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff text=3D#000000>
<DIV>Hi Don &amp; All,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Aug 11, 2012</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Your comment about the Downy freezing at the =
hint of=20
danger&nbsp;reminded me of an experience last winter suggesting that =
Downy and=20
Hairy Woodpeckers are short-sighted.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For many years I have hung a stick of firewood, =
with 16=20
staggered 3/4" diameter holes about 1/2" deep,&nbsp;horizontally in a =
shrub and=20
kept them supplied with fat during cold weather. The Downy &amp; Hairy =
WP often=20
also fed in a nearby&nbsp;Ash and would usually come to the fat from the =

Ash.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After Alison became confined to =
wheelchair&nbsp;she=20
could not see the birds&nbsp;visit this stick so I decided to move it =
this=20
winter to another location that was visible from a low window by hanging =
a=20
second stick at the new location and withholding fat from the first. =
This second=20
location was about 15 paces from the Ash home base and about 20 paces =
from the=20
bush in which&nbsp;the old&nbsp;stick hung.&nbsp; </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To effect this move, to a stick at the second =
location=20
that was in full view from the Ash,&nbsp;took about 6 weeks !!</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; They would find fat in a post that was half a =
span from=20
the&nbsp;feeder currently used&nbsp;but ignore a post that was a span =
away. So I=20
leapfrogged posts by half-span increments; shifting the oldest forward =
after=20
they were finding fat at the most recent. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In the process of doing this I learned that they =

strongly prefer to feed on a vertical post as opposed to an angled post =
or a=20
horizontal stick.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20
dir=3Dltr>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Ddonmacneill@bellaliant.net=20
  href=3D"mailto:donmacneill@bellaliant.net">Don MacNeill</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> =
</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, August 09, 2013 =
1:26=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NatureNS] =
Aggressive=20
  Hummingbitd</DIV>
  <DIV><BR